Collapse of retailer GAME takes toll on UK retail games business

34% decrease in game sales

According to UK-based trade website MCV, the recent collapse of retailer GAME "took a heavy toll" on the UK retail games business last month, as the high street seller was unable to source new stock for around eight weeks.

Figures collected by GfK Chart-Track show that 2.7 million games were sold last month (March), whereas a whopping 4.1 million titles were snapped up during the same period in 2011 - a 34 per cent decline.

Last month's retail sales generated a rather healthy £67.7m, but that still represents a 33.5 per cent year-on-year decrease. Entire first quarter results weren't any rosier, either: retail game sales in the UK were 30 per cent down on last year.